Troopers giving tickets to texters (Press-Register editorial)

NAYSAYERS PREDICTED a new state law banning texting while driving would be impossible to enforce, but Alabama State Troopers are proving them wrong.

Since the new law took effect Aug. 1, troopers have issued 14 citations. While that may not seem like many, the number doesn’t count warnings or tickets issued by local authorities. The fact that troopers are stopping motorists should prevent others from taking the risk — and this alone justifies legislators’ effort to pass the law last spring.

At the time, some observers insisted that enforcement officers would not be able to determine whether a motorist was texting or surfing the Internet (both illegal) or dialing a number (legal). Troopers, though, have shown that they can identify the offenders and are willing to ticket them.

The citations can be a warning to the rest of us to think twice before picking up the phone in the car. One ticket was issued to a man who was weaving across lanes of traffic on the interstate in Hoover while he texted. Another was given to a woman for texting with both hands while steering with her wrist on I-59 in Birmingham.

It’s easy to see why motorists distracted by electronic devices were involved in 1,846 wrecks in 2010, according to research by the University of Alabama’s Center for Advanced Public Safety. It’s one thing for people to text or email and risk their own lives, but it’s unacceptable for them to risk the lives of everyone around them, from other motorists to pedestrians.

The penalties are light — fines of $25 for a first offense, $50 for a second offense and $75 for a third. But each offense also costs a driver two points on his driving record, which can boost insurance rates.

The goal of the law is deterrence. If drivers believe they will get caught, they’re more likely to avoid trying to text and drive at the same time.